Balance
by Berzerkerprime
Summary: Shortly after the crew of the Ghost rescues Kanan from Mustafar, they lay low on Kashyyyk while they regroup. Kanan takes the opportunity to teach Ezra a little bit about the spiritual side of the Force.


Balance

by Berzerkerprime

Ezra had never been to a world with so many trees as Kashyyyk. On Lothal, the biggest natural objects were the rounded spires of rock that sprang up from the vast grasslands. He never thought that he would ever see anything natural that was larger than those gigantic stones. Yet, here on Kashyyyk, there were trees that certainly grew taller, if not wider at their base. To think that they were also living, growing things boggled Ezra's mind. He found he liked the feel of them in the Force. They were old and wise, yet vibrant and animated. Where the stones on Lothal had given a sense of timeless permanence, the trees of Kashyyyk sang of ever-changing life.

After everything the crew of the _Ghost_ had been through recently - the transmission from the communications tower on Lothal, Kanan's capture and subsequent rescue, the revelation that they were not the only rebels in the galaxy - they had been instructed to take some time to recover by their mysterious contact, Ahsoka Tano. Though Kanan had originally insisted that they didn't need the time, Hera had readily agreed, all but strong-arming Kanan into taking some time to heal from his ordeal. And so, Ahsoka had contacted the Wookies, ever sympathetic to the rebels and to the Jedi. They agreed to help conceal the _Ghost_ in their forests for a time, several miles from one of their tree-top cities. Ahsoka had accompanied them to make sure the crew was following instructions and taking some time for themselves.

The last rays of sunlight had long ago faded, leaving the grey-blue sky of twilight behind, stars beginning to shine in the darkest corners of the horizon. Ezra stood on the lowered cargo ramp of the _Ghost_ and gave a relaxing stretch. He was in search of Kanan, who hadn't been aboard the ship for hours. The Jedi was a little ways away from the _Ghost_ , sitting in a meditating pose, right where Ezra had last seen him, hours ago. It looked as if he had not moved a muscle in that time, but Ezra could feel a warmth surrounding him, like he was gathering up soft blankets.

Ezra was just about to go back into the ship when Kanan slowly came to his feet, face still calm and eyes still closed as if in meditation. He began to move, his feet skimming the forest floor slowly, his hands raised in front of him. He moved deliberately, but freely, letting the ground move him rather than forcing motion through his legs. In five smooth steps, Kanan traced out a circle on the ground, though he seemed to leave no mark where his feet trod. He spiraled outward, beginning the circle again widening his stance and his steps. His arms began to move in concert with his steps and it looked to Ezra like the motions were somewhere between a dance and a fight. He could sense the Force beginning to swirl around the circle Kanan had traced on the ground. It was swirling up from the ground, meeting his feet.

And then, Ezra saw mounds of stone pop out of the ground around him, in five perfectly spaced pillars around his circle. They grew with each step that Kanan took, growing out of the ground into tapering columns. Kanan's motion changed slightly, still moving about his circle in uniform steps, but the Force shifted upward and Kanan's arms began to make movements that pushed outward from his body. He repeated those steps a few times until Ezra began to see something shining emerge from the stones, a metal glinting in what little light there was and forming into graceful armatures, some reaching out, some reaching up.

Kanan continued on, his footwork becoming more intricate, with circles within circles. The Force shifted upward again, seeming to settle around Kanan's heart. The forest around him seemed to reach out and Kanan's hands moved to accept the contact, but not interrupt it. A moment later, Ezra noticed that something was pushing out of the ground at the base of each pillar. At first, they were fresh, green vines, creeping upward and spiraling around the pillars and clinging to the metal armatures. But then they grew hard and dark, bark covering them and leaves beginning to spring out from them. They continued to go upward, reaching toward the center of the growing structure and twisting together as if to create a protective roof over the Jedi and forming a sort of a cauldron at the peak of the structure.

The Force reached outward now, shifting still upward, and Kanan's motion became lighter, more flowing. His stance shifted from high to low and back again as he continued in his circle, his arms pushing and pulling with the shifts of the Force, as if being carried on their tide-like motions. Out of the air, fog began to form. Slowly it settled in around the wooden branches of the structure and soon Ezra could see flowing tendrils of water settle gently on to the structure, forming intricate patterns that shifted out and in, spiraling in dazzling dances that harmonized with Kanan's movements.

Once more, the Force shifted, upward this time. Ezra could feel the warmth around his master increase. Kanan's movements became small and focused, reaching upward and Ezra witnessed the most amazing part of the dance. Just above the peak of the structure, in the cauldron formed by the branches, a glow began and grew. Soon, a bright yellow flame was blazing there, its light reflecting from the metal of the structure and refracting through the the shifting waters, creating a dazzling display of light.

Kanan settled back in the center of his circle, his feet together and his hands coming to rest like leaves floating to the forest floor. He stood there for a moment, perfectly still, the structure seeming to hum all around him. Then, slowly, Kanan sat down on the ground again, settling back into a cross-legged meditative pose. Ezra had the sense that he was a part of the structure himself.

Ezra stood on the ground just before the cargo ramp, having been unaware that his feet had moved and made contact with the ground. There was a power, yet a perfect sense of calm wrapped around Kanan and his structure. The beauty of it nearly stole Ezra's breath and he found he could only stare, transfixed. The raw power that was being contained in perfect calm was mesmerizing.

"It's called a world wheel," a soft voice reached Ezra's ears, "and I've only ever seen one created one other time, by a great Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Ahsoka stepped lightly as she came up next to him, as if careful not to disrupt the balance they were witnessing.

"Kanan's mentioned him," Ezra said, "did you know him?"

"Quite well. He was my master's master and a dear friend."

"It's beautiful," Ezra breathed, barely above a whisper, "what is it for?"

"It's a meditation," Ahsoka said, "a very advanced one. A world wheel can only be constructed when a Jedi is at peace with his place in the world."

"I had no idea Kanan was so powerful," said Ezra, "but... no... maybe I did. When he was fighting the Inquisitor aboard Tarkin's destroyer, I felt something kind of like this."

"Something has shifted in Kanan," said Ahsoka, "he is in harmony with the Force in a way he never was before. In guiding you on your journey, he has taken another important step on his own."

"How... how long is he going to stay like that?"

As if in answer to his question, Ezra felt a tendril of the Force reach out to him from Kanan's direction, beckoning him closer.

"Go to him," Ahsoka said, gently, turning around and walking back up the ramp and into the _Ghost_.

Keeping his steps slow and deliberate, Ezra silently paced the distance out to Kanan's world wheel. He stopped just outside of its circle, as if to enter would be to disrupt the delicate balance.

"Come sit with me, Ezra," Kanan said calmly, his meditating pose never changing.

Carefully, as if granted entrance to a sacred trust, Ezra moved into the circle, careful not to disrupt the tree branches or the metal armatures. The tendrils of water flowed naturally to allow him unhindered access. He settled on the ground, facing Kanan, resting on his knees. He had so many questions, but something told him to wait, to be patient.

"Tell me what you feel," Kanan instructed.

Ezra took a deep breath, closing his eyes and opening himself to the Force. "I feel... something whole. It's like something that was not complete before is complete now; balanced."

"This is what balance in the Force looks like," Kanan said, "perfect harmony between all things. The strength of the earth, the grace of metal, the life of wood, the flowing change of water, and the bright purity of fire."

"How did you make this?"

"I didn't," Kanan answered, "the Force in each of the elements did. I was merely its instrument. They told me where they wanted to be."

"I don't think I understand," said Ezra.

"The world wheel is a surrendering of one's self to the Force and to all things around you. To construct one is to be one with the living Force and to let it guide you in every way."

"Have you done this before?"

"No. This is my first."

"I feel... like I'm a part of it, somehow. Even though I didn't make it, it's welcoming me."

"You _are_ a part of it, Ezra," Kanan replied, "you are connected to me and I to you."

"I... still don't think I understand, Master," Ezra said.

"That's all right," Kanan said with a smile, "every Jedi understands in their own time. For now, just feel."

Ezra did just that, allowing the rest of his questions to drift away on the eddies and currents that were around them. He drifted on the waves of the Force, feeling his master, the trees, the flowing water, and every living thing around them. It was a feeling of contentment that Ezra had never felt before. And it was a memory he would cherish for years to come.

* * *

This was an image I got in my head while listening to some music a while ago. I had originally thought to include this in a longer fic, but it never seemed to fit in with any of my other plot bunnies. Finally, it demanded to get written down and told me in no uncertain terms that it was supposed to exist for its own sake.

If you're interested, the song that inspired the imagery is called Don Oíche Úd I mBeithil by the Quadriga Consort. It's technically a Christmas song, but if you don't know Gaelic, you'd never know.

I used a more eastern concept of the elements. A lot of concepts that make up the Force are very Taoist in nature and I decided to build off of that. So instead of earth, fire, air, and water I used earth, metal, wood, water, and fire which are elements of balance in Taoism.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please remember to leave a review and let me know what you thought of it.


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